Automatic safety firing control for repeating shotguns



E. O. KLEBE Fe. 21, E950 AUTOMATIC SAFETX FIRING CONTROL FOR REPEATINGSHDTGUNS FileaAug, 12; '1946 Patented Feb. 21, 19 50 AUTOMATIC SAFETYFIRING CONTROL FOR REPEATING SHOTGUNS Erich 0. mac, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application August 12, 1946, Serial No. 689,846

11 Claims.

My present invention relates to improvements in firearms and moreparticularly to an automatic safety firing control therefor.

The invention is especially designed for use on a Winchester model 12repeating shotgun.

It is well known that in case a person fails to release the trigger ofthe above identified gun after firing the same, andmanipulates theaction slide to eject the empty shell and reload the gun, saidgun willautomatically be fired, for the reason that the trigger is held in ahammer release position.

The object of this invention is to provide automatic mechanism that willpositively lock the hammer in cocked position if the trigger is beingvheld in a hammer releasing position following the firing of the gun andthen automatically release the hammer after the trigger has beenreleasedto still hold the hammer cocked.

To the .above end, the invention consists of the novel devices andcombination of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which ,illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view ofv a repeating shotgun, someparts being broken away and other parts sectioned;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the frame and mechanismcarried thereby, together with the breech bolt removed from the gun, andsaid mechanism being in firing position;

Fig. 3 is a corresponding view to Fig. 2, with the exception that thegun has been fired and showing the trigger in an inoperative positionand the automatic safety device holding the hammer cocked; and

Fig. 4 is an elevational View on an enlarged scale showing a portion ofthe trigger and the safety catch, a portion of which is broken away andsectioned.

The drawing illustrates fragmentarily, a "Win chester model 12 repeatingshotgun, and the standard parts thereof, it is important to note, thereceiver 5, the barrel 6, the magazine 1, the action slide 8, its handle9 and the breech bolt actuating bar 10, the breech bolt II, the firingpin l2, the frame l3, the trigger guard Id, the shell carrier l5, thehammer [6, its lock lug H, the trigger l8 and the action slide lock l9,and its hammer holding hook 20. The spring for propelling the hammer I6is indicated by the numeral 2| and the opposing springs which eelockinglug 25.

2 11: I. l tuate the action slide lock 19 are indicated by the numeral22. l I

Referring now in detail to my present invention, the numeral 23indicates an automatic safe ty catch in the form of an upstanding hookpivoted at 24 to the trigger [8 for interlocking errgagement with alocklug 25 on one side of the hammer l6. Pivotal movement of the safetycatch 23 is in a plane parallel to the plane of the hammer l6 and thispivotal movement is limited by a pin 26 on the hammer 16 that extendsthrough a slot 21 in said safety catch. A coiledspring 28 acting on aplunger 29 that engages an abutment 30 in the form of a pin on onesideof the trigger l 8 yieldingly holds the safety catchf 23 in anoperative position. The spring 28 and the plunger 29 are mounted in abore 3! on the under side of the safety catch 23 rearwardly of the pivot26 of said safety catch.

It is important to note that the front edge portion of the nose 32 ofthe safety catch 23 is curved upwardly and rearwardly and that thelocking lug 25 is forwardly of the nose 32.

The gun as shown in Fig. 1 is in the process of being loaded and thehook 20 on the action slide lock I9 is interlocked with the lock lug l1and holds the hammer l6 cocked. If the trigger' l'8j is pulled at thistime, the safety catch 23 will be moved into interlocking engagementwiththe hammer I6 the nose 32'of the safety catch 23 will engage thelocking lug 25 and thereby move the safety catch 23 rearwardly on itspivot pin 24 and thus prevent engagement with the lock lug 25.

Fig. 3 shows the gun in the process of being reloaded while the triggerI8 is still held irra hammer releasin position or in other words, thetrigger 18 has not been released since it was pulled to release thehammer It to fire the gun. At this time while the hammer is being cockedthe lock lug 25 engages the nose 32 of the safety catch 23 and'cams thesame out of its path'of movement by moving the safety catch 23 unitspivot pin 24 against the tension of the spring 23.; Whenthe locking lug25 passes out ofengage; ment with the nose 32 of the safety catch 23 thecompressed spring 28 will swing the safety catch 23 forwardly and into aposition in which it interlocks with the lock lug 25 and therebypositively hold the hammer I6 cocked as long as the 3 trigger I8 is heldretracted and thus prevents the gun from being accidentally fired.

When the trigger I8 is released it is first positioned to hold thehammer I 6 cocked and this moves the safety catch 23 out of engagementwith the locking lug 25 so that the gun may be fired by again pullingthe trigger l8.

From what has been said, it will be understood that the inventiondescribed is capable of modifications as to details of construction andarrangement Within the scope of the invention herein disclosed andclaimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a firearm having a trigger controlled hammer and of the typewherein upon a cocking of the hammer with the trigger held in a firingposition there is no meag s for holding the hammer cocked, a safety lockmovably mounted adjacent the hammer and movable into engage? ment withthe hammer to hold the hammer oc ed nd asin m ans o e bl n y upon thecooking of the hammer when the trigger is in a firing position toactuate, said safety lock t en a e an he d he hamm r cocked a earm a s nropeued ham e and means or c ki he hamme a ainst t e tension of saidspring, a tri er normally operable upon the cocking of the hammer tohold the mmer oc e s d t i ger ei manu y psrab e o release he co ed h msaid trigger when held in firing position during the cocking of thehammer being inoperable to hold t e ham er ck d, a sa e y ck mo able i oocki e em wit h am an b asing means operating only upon the cooking ofthe hammer with the trigger held in a firing position to move saidsafety lock into locking:

engagement with the hammer to hold the hammer in a cocked position.

3. A construction as defined in claim 1 wherein, means is provided forreleasing the safety lock from a locked position, and said means beingbrought into operation upon movement of thetr s er f om a r ng to a nn-fi i posit o 4. A con truction as defined in claim 2 wherein, means isprovided for releasing the safety oo from. a o ke os ti nd sa d me ns is b u t. int Operatio po m n of th ri r r m a fir n o non-fi n P n- 5.In a firearm, a movable firing hammer and mea t ro e t e s me. m a s forcocking tli h m a ri g r norma b ase t a n fir ng p i i n nd o n a emwit th hamm r for lding he h mme in a locked positionwhen the hammer iscocked, said trigger having no cocking engagement with thehammer whenthe trigger is held in a firing position during the cooking of thehammer, a movably mounted safety catch biased for locking engagementwith the hammer when the hammer is cocked, said safety catch operatingtoengage and hold the hammer cocked when the trigger is held in a firingposition during the cocking of the hammer, and means preventing thelock-v ing operation of said safety catch when the trigger is in anon-firing position during the cooking (i the er- 6. A construction asdefined in claim 5 wherein, an operative connection is provided betweenthe trigger and the safety catch for moving the safety catch from alocked to an unlocked position upon movement of the trigger from afiring to a non-firing position when the safety catch is in a lockedposition, and said trigger upon said movement to release the safetycatch moving into locking position with the hammer prior to moving thesafety catch out of locking engagement with the hammer.

7. In a firearm, a spring propelled hammer manually movable into acocked position, a trigger biased normally to a non-firing position andwhen so positioned operating upon the cooking of the hammer to engageand lock the hammer in a cocked position, said trigger being manuallyoperable to release the cocked hammer, said trigger when being held in afiring position upon the cocking of the hammer having no lockingengagement with the hammer, a safety catch pivotally mounted on thetrigger for rearward tilting movement in a plane parallel to themovement of the hammer, biasing means normally holding said safety catchin a forward position, a lock member on the hammer, said safety catchbeing movable in response to movement of the trigger and beingpositioned for non-locking engagement with the hammer when the triggeris in its normal non-firing position, said safety catch when the triggeris held in a firingposition being moved into the path of movement of thehammer lock member during movement of the hammer into a cooked positionand interlocking with said lock member and locking the hammer in alocked position.

8. A construction as defined in claim 7 wherein, when the safety catchis in a. locked position.

movement of the trigger from a firing to a nonfiring position moves thesafety catch to an unlocked position, and the trigger upon said movementmoving into locked position with the hammer prior to releasing thesafety catch.

9. A construction as defined in claim '7 wherein, means is provided forlimiting the pivotal movement of the safety catch, an abutment on thetrigger, the biasing means for the safety catch being in the form of aspring projected plunger mounted in a bore on the safety catch.

10; A construction as defined in claim 1 Wherein, means is provided forreleasing the safety look from a locked position, said means beingbrought into operation upon movement of. the trigger from a firing to anon-firing position, and upon said movement of the trigger lockingengagement between the trigger and the hammer taking place prior to thereleasing of the safetylock, whereby the hammer remains in a cockedposition.

11. A construction asdefined in claim 2 wherein, means is provided forreleasing the safety look from a locked position, said meansbeingbrought into operation upon movement of the trigger from a firingtoa non-firing position,

and upon said movement of the trigger locking engagement between thetrigger and the hammer taking place prior to the releasing of the safetylock, whereby the hammer remains in a cooked position.

ERICH O. KLEBE.

No references cited.

